On Solid Shale
By David Walsh

Have you ever sped
Along a bone-dry track
The rock-solid base
With the finest dust, and grit
Scattered on top?
Ah yes
The greatest of all tracks!

Everything was intact
Or so it seemed
Safety-zone, line
Centre-green
Traps
A universal haven
For all our premier events

And it smelt just the same
As it always did
Indefinable
Evocative
Of a place, a time
Of magic
Of grace
But its pitfalls were man-made
We had a curious race

The spin was uncontrolled
And the clouds became thick
Clear vision impaired
The sliding too slick
Oh shit!
There'll be one hell of a crash
If this sort of action isn't halted
And pretty damn quickly

So, fr*cking spoilsports
Stop!
Get back to basics
For the answer is crying out
Right before our faces
And it really could not be simpler...

The caring, imaginative
Management
Of precious, life-giving
Electrifying
Water

This article was first published on 9th February 2014